My home state of Illinois is currently considering a mandatory transvaginal ultrasound law for women seeking abortions. For the people of Illinois, let me make this perfectly clear.

The definition of define “rape” is:

Forced or manipulated nonconsensual sexual contact, including vaginal or anal intercourse, oral sex, or penetration with an object.

If a person is forced into sexual contact through coercion, consent is not given.

If the state compels a woman to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound, they have forced her into sexual contact (penetration with an object) through coercion.

Therefore, if a state mandates that a woman seeking an abortion undergo a transvaginal ultrasound that they do not want, they are guilty of attempted rape.

Further, if they succeed in forcing her to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound, she IS a victim of rape and therefore entitled to protections under the law for victims of rape.

…thus inducting every woman seeking an abortion into the realm of exemption for other anti-abortion measures as victims of sexual violence.

I hope that women in states where similar legislation has already passed can make use of this summation. And I hope that the legislators currently considering similar laws in other states, like my own, take a moment to register all of this information and reconsider their criminal intentions.